Garlic Herb Butter Baked Pork Loin and Potatoes

We love pork loin in our house – it is simple to make and always a hit with our very-fussy kids – and our standby Baked Pork Loin and Potatoes dinnerbaked in an irresistible Garlic Herb Butte r is a huge hit every time we make it.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How To Make Pork Loin and Potatoes

The most good, tender, and juicy pork loin – bursting with garlic and herb butter flavor.

If you love our crazy viral garlic butter pork tenderlion recipeour Smoked Pork Ribs RecipeEasy Slow Cooker Pork Steaks Recipeor our easy baked pork chops – you can flip for this herb butter pork lion that is baked right alongside solid roasted potatoes – for a main and side dish in one pan!

Pork Loin and Potatoes Ingredients

To make this dish, we will need the following ingredients:

• 3 lb pork loin: lean, tender main protein that absorbs flavors from the marinade and herbs
• 1 bottle Italian dressing: acidic, herby marinade that tenderizes and brightens the pork
• 6 tbsp butter: adds richness, moisture, and helps develop a golden crust
• 1 tbsp Celtic sea salt and fresh cracked pepper: enhance natural flavor and balance the richness
• 4 pats butter: melt over the pork while roasting to baste and keep it juicy
• 2 tbsp diced garlic: bring pungent, savory aromatic depth
• 1 tsp dried basil: adds a sweet, slightly peppery note
• 1 tsp dried oregano: earthy, robust, slightly bitter flavor
• 1 tsp dried thyme: subtle lemony, minty, woodsy notes that brighten pork
• 1 tsp dried parsley: fresh, grassy lift to lighten richness
• ½ tsp dried sage: earthy, slightly peppery warmth
• or 2 tbsp Italian herb seasoning blend: convenient shortcut for balanced herbal flavor
• 1 lb red and Yukon gold potatoes, halved: hearty starch that roasts in juices, with reds staying creamy and Yukons buttery and tender
• 1 cup diced onion: caramelizes for sweetness and enriches pan drippings

Roasted Pork Loin and Potatoes Recipe Steps

We're going to use the following method to get the best results:

Marinate & Season

Marinate pork loin overnight or at least 30 minutes. Remove from marinade, pat dry, and season well with salt and pepper.

Sear

Sear pork to brown on all sides.

Bake

Add to pan with potatoes, herbs, and garlic butter. Roast at 350 until pork has reached 145 degrees and potatoes are soft.

Kitchen notes

Since pork loin has little fat, it can become tough quickly when overcooked – we're providing our best tips and tricks to keep pork loin moist below:

Make with a pork tenderloin. To make this baked pork loin recipe with a smaller, thinner pork tenderloin, continue with the recipe exactly as called for below, but plan on for 10-30 minutes less cooking time (this will vary wildly depending on your pork tenderloin, we always advocate for cooking off temperature rather than time when cooking meat.)

Marinate. Marinating or brining pork loin before cooking will always help to soften the pork loin and keep it from drying out. We love using a bottle of simple Italian Dressing or a cup of olive oil with some lemon juice, salt, and pepper for an easy overnight pork loin marinade.

Cooked pork can be pink. You're looking for slightly pink in the middle, as food safety rules have changed and pork no longer needs to be cooked all the way to fully opaque and white in the middle.

Don't overcook. Pork loin dries out quickly when overcooked. We often pull our pork loin at 140 degrees and tent it with foil to continue carryover cooking as it rests for about 10 minutes before serving. You can let it rest for up to 15 minutes before serving while you finish up some side dishes, too!

Cook to 145 degrees. Pork is properly cooked at 145 degrees, overcooking will dry out pork.

Check pork temperature as it cooks. check your pork loin's internal temperature as it bakes, and monitor for doneness, as the cook time can vary.

What Potatoes to Use

• Fingerling potatoes. Wash fingerling potatoes well, and pat dry. You can leave whole or cut in half.
• Russet potatoes. Use 2 russet potatoes. Wash russet potatoes well and pat dry. Cut into 2″ chunks.
• Blue potatoes. Use 8-10 small blue potatoes. Wash well and pat dry, and cut into 2″ chunks.

Pork Loin vs Pork Tenderloin

Pork Loin – we get a lot of questions on this recipe on whether to use pork tenderloin or pork tenderlion. The two cuts of pork are from similar areas (off the back of the pig), and are both leaner and respond to the same cooking methods, but pork tenderloin is much longer and skinnier than a pork loin.

Pork loins tend to be much fatter, much heavier, and over 3 lbs – while a pork tenderloin will be longer, skinnier, and around 1-2 pounds. For this recipe, we are calling for a Pork Loin – but a pork tenderloin will also work!

Recipe FAQs

What temperature to cook pork loin to?

Pork loin is fully cooked when the internal temperature is 145 degrees.

Is pink pork loin safe to eat?

If your pork has reached 145 degrees internal temperature (measure the fattest part of the loin), it is fully cooked. This may contain a bit of pink – unlike chicken, color isn't an indicator of doneness.

Can we use pork tenderloin?

You can swap pork tenderloin for pork loin – please reduce cook time by 10-15 minutes.

How can we store this recipe?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or frozen for up to four months.

You can also visit our easy side dishes recipe archivesor our easy dessert archives.

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Ingredients

• 1 bottle Italian dressing, as marinade
• 3 lb pork loin
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp celtic sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 4 tbsp butter, sliced into 4-6 pats
• 2 tbsp diced garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil*
• 1 tsp dried oregano*
• 1 tsp dried thyme*
• 1 tsp dried parsley*
• ½ tsp dried sage*
• *OR 2 tbsp Italian Herb Seasoning Blend
• 1 lb red and yukon gold potatoes, halved
• 1 cup diced onion

Method

1. Marinate pork in Italian dressing, at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Remove pork from marinade and discard marinade.
4. Pat dry and season well with salt and pepper.
5. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large heavy pan.
6. Brown pork loin on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
7. When pork loin has browned, add to roasting pan or baking sheet.
8. Melt rest of butter in pan and combine onion, herbs and garlic – heat 30 seconds and remove from heat.
9. Wash potatoes well and cut in half. Pat dry.
10. Arrange around pork loin in pan.
11. Generously season pork and potatoes with herbs, salt, and pepper.
12. Drizzle butter and herbs over pork and potatoes. Toss potatoes lightly to coat in herb butter.
13. Roast 35-40 minutes, checking temperature after 20 minutes.
14. When porks internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
15. Serve and enjoy!